Begin the Story

Read the First Chapter of
Under the Orange Blossoms

For years, the truth remained buried. But some memories refuse to stay silent.

Under the Orange Blossoms is Cindy Benezra’s deeply personal memoir of survival, memory, and the courage to confront a past she once had to bury.

Download the first chapter and begin her journey through the memories that resurfaced, the questions that demanded answers, and the search for truth that ultimately led her back to where it all began.


  • “Under the Orange Blossoms is an astonishing debut. Cindy Benezra writes openly about the innate ability children have to survive early childhood trauma with incredible compassion, bravery, truth, advocacy, and love. This is a story of hope, of finding your way out of the darkness and into the light. It is a heartbreaking and heartwarming story of facing fears, breaking cycles of generational trauma, and ultimately creating a beautiful life.”
    Angela Schellenberg
    Writer, Speaker and Mental Health Trauma Therapist, LMHCA